Accessibility Standards Committee

Welcome to the Accessibility Standards Committee! We
are working on raising awareness about barriers and concerns
related to full participation of persons with disabilities
who live and work in Ontario.

Proposed New Accessibility Standards are Now Posted

The government posted its proposed integrated
Accessibility Regulation on September 2, 2010. Their
proposed regulation outlines the content of a new
accessibility regulation that will address three areas
of standards:

The public review period is only 45 days long and comments
are due to the Minister on October 16, 2010. CWDO
is organizing a response, and will invite our members to
provide input. Members may also wish to respond as
individuals. The AODA Alliance has copies of the standards as
submitted by the Standards Development Committees to the
government. These are included in the links below.
CWDO work on these standards is also included below.
The links are organized by topic.

What CWDO Will Consider When Reviewing the Summary
of the Government's Proposed Accessibility Standards:

Will the Government’s proposed integrated
accessibility standard ensure that by 2025, persons
with disabilities will have barrier-free full
accessibility in employment, information and
communication, and transportation? The AODA requires
that Ontario become fully accessible by 2025. These
accessibility standards are the key means for
getting us there.

Does the summary of the proposed integrated
accessibility standard cover all the barriers that
persons with disabilities face in these three areas?
Does it ensure their effective removal and
prevention?

Does the summary of the proposed integrated
accessibility standard include reasonable time
lines?

Does the proposed integrated accessibility
standard at least include all the entitlements for
persons with disabilities that were included in the
proposals submitted to the government by the three
SDC's, the ones that addressed transportation,
information and communication, and employment?

Does the government’s summary of its proposed
integrated accessibility standard incorporate the
feedback we gave the Government in the areas of
accessibility of transportation, information tnd
communication, and employment?

Economic Benefits to Accessibility

Did you know that accessibility can be a
boost to the economy?

An accessible Ontario attracts more tourism,
more business and becomes a destination of choice
for business, commerce, residents and travelers.

Accessible businesses have an edge over their
competition, claiming higher market shares.

Accessible workplaces mean more people will be
able to work, return to work or continue working.
This means fewer people will need to rely on ODSP
and will be able to pay a higher share of taxes as
wage earners.

To learn more about the economic benefits to
accessibility, and crunch the numbers for yourself, read
the report by the Martin Prosperity Institute released
on June 14, 2010.

Helping Employers Expand Their Talent Pool
- Ontario is partnering with the Business Takes Action
project to create opportunities for people with
disabilities and help employers make their workplaces
more accessible.